News & Information

Congratulations, newly certified financial counselors!

The WisconsinCCUFC class of 2017 completed the program in October in Madison. The program was coordinated by Josh Roberts (third from right, top), League VP of System Collaboration and Development, on behalf of the Wisconsin Credit Union Foundation.​ Some of the graduates are not pictured.

What

A total of 52 participants from 24 Wisconsin credit unions have completed a program to earn the credential of Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor (CCUFC). Their graduation brings our two year-total of certified counselors to more than 120 individuals statewide who are uniquely positioned to help members realize their financial dreams.

The CCUFC class of 2017 completed the Enhanced FiCEP Program, a blend of the basic FiCEP program offered by the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and additional guidance from the National Credit Union Foundation that helps learners implement a sustainable counseling program whose success can be measured. The cost of participation was cut in half (or more) thanks to generous support from the Wisconsin Credit Union Foundation, which supports financial literacy as part of its mission.

Who

The Wisconsin CCUFC class of 2017 included member service reps, executives, lenders, collections staff, financial educators and others. ​

How

Learners completed:

9 webinars

Self-paced study

Two in-person trainings with proctored testing

While the webinars and self-paced study prepared them to give professional financial counseling and education to members, the in-person training offered practical guidance on implementing a counseling effort in-house to have a broad impact on members and a make a bottom-line improvement for the organization.

Why

While credit unions in our state have provided their members free financial counseling for years – 500,000 hours last year alone that saved members millions of dollars – this effort further equips credit unions to help more of their members while strengthening credit unions’ brand as Americans’ best financial partner – a goal of our nationwide Unite for Good effort.

"Improving all members' financial position is every credit unions' mission, and financial counseling certification offers credit union professionals the knowledge and confidence to offer that opportunity in ways they hadn't previously," said Josh Roberts, who coordinated the program for the Wisconsin Credit Union Foundation.

"Their efforts to help Wisconsin credit union members achieve greater financial stability will strengthen both credit unions and local communities," he added.

If you're interested in participating in a future program, contact Josh at (608) 514-0080.

Wisconsin credit unions come together as a single League toUnite for Good; we remove barriers, increase awareness and foster service excellence. All of these steps help more Americans to see credit unions as their best financial partner and regard their credit union as their primary financial institution. Read more articles in ourUnite for Good series.